In a stunning courtroom revelation, the Old Bailey heard how aristocratic fugitive Constance Marten drew a chilling parallel between herself and Britain's most notorious child killer, Lucy Letby.
The comparison emerged during a police interview after Marten and her partner, Mark Gordon, were finally apprehended following a nationwide 54-day manhunt. The couple were charged with the manslaughter of their newborn daughter, Victoria.
'A Witch Hunt Against Me'
Marten, 36, defiantly told detectives: "This feels like a witch hunt, just like with Lucy Letby." This shocking statement was presented to the jury, highlighting her perceived victimhood despite the tragic circumstances of her infant's death.
The court was told how the couple's desperate attempt to avoid social services ended in unimaginable tragedy. Their baby died while they were living off-grid in a tent on the South Downs in freezing January temperatures.
A Life on the Run
The jury heard how the couple:
- Lived in a tent during one of the coldest winters on record
- Used cash to avoid detection by authorities
- Carried their deceased child in a Lidl bag for life for several days
- Eventually abandoned the baby's body in an allotment shed
Pathologists testified that baby Victoria likely died from the cold, having been exposed to sub-zero temperatures without adequate clothing or shelter.
The Final Hours
In emotional testimony, Marten claimed she fell asleep with Victoria nestled in her jacket for warmth. When she awoke, she discovered her daughter had tragically passed away. "I was holding her and then I fell asleep holding her," she told police. "When I woke up my baby was dead."
The trial continues as the prosecution argues the parents' "reckless and utterly selfish" actions directly led to their vulnerable daughter's death.
